Prophecy
by evincis
Summary: What if an ancient prophecy linked the Savior and a certain puppet? AU Spoilers for season 2. Please keep an open mind and let me know what you think. The title will be explained in later chapters. The story is better than the summary. I promise. Wooden Swan all the way of course. Complete.
1. Worry

_AN/ Hi everyone. Here is something that has been on my computer for a while now. I wanted to finish it first before publishing it but as I won't have the time now, It'll be a two part story: the Emma and August part and the Henry part. I only ask you to read this with an open mind. It's kind of crazy but I hope that you will like it. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of these characters. This story is for entertainment purposes only and has no commercial aim. Please do not publish without my explicit consent._

**Worry**

Emma sat down on the couch in her house. Yes, house. She was now living in the suburbs of Storybrooke with her son and her parents, who looked the same age as her but that didn't bother her any more. Not after what had happened in the past few months. She looked at the picture of her and Mary Margaret on the shelf. When they had taken it, they had been just roommates in the loft. Now they were best friends. Not always mother and daughter but they were getting there. Next to that picture, she saw another one. It was of her and Henry. They looked so happy. And they had been. Before this mess started. She took a deep breath and tried to be calm. She had to. She couldn't afford to lose control over her emotions. Not now.

She turned her head toward the coffee table and saw the most amazing picture in this house. Mary Margaret and David were laughing. He had his armed rapped around her. Next to them Emma had a grip on Henry who was trying to escape his mother's tickling. It had been a happy day. They hadn't known about the situation that was forming. They hadn't known the danger that they were in.

The noise of the front door clashing startled her. She looked in that direction expecting to see her mother but she was surprised when a puppet with the size of a grown man entered the living room.

"Hey." Her said with a warm tone.

"Hey. I wasn't expecting you until later." She said. "I thought that you and Henry were spending the afternoon at Marco's". Henry had insisted on visiting the old man after school.

"Emma, it's Wednesday. Henry is spending the afternoon with Neal." He reminded her.

"Is it? Sorry. I must have lost track of time." August didn't like the expression on her face. She was worried.

"Emma, you need to calm down. It's not good for you." He took her arm in his and pressed it to his wooden lips. "And it's not good for the baby."

"I know." Her eyes filled with tears. The combination of her opening up to the love of the people surrounding her and the hormonal cocktail of pregnancy was lethal. "It's just… I just regained control over my life and it keeps being interfered in. I don't know how much more I can take. I just got my family back and I don't want…. I can't lose any of you again."

"Emma." He wiped away the tears from her eyes and smiled as well as he could when Emma included him in the category "family". They hadn't really talked about the nature of their relationship but they knew it was serious. "We will get through this. I promise. I know that people don't believe my promises but you should this one. What I said the other day is true. You are not alone. You have me. And your parents. We will figure this out. You just worry about feeling well, ok?" Emma nodded. "Now, do you want some hot chocolate?" He asked. If his wooden face allowed it, he would smile.

"Sure. Still afraid of the stove?" She let out a small laugh and got up.

"If you burn yourself you can put on a band aid and you'll be as good as new. If I catch fire, I might actually burn down." They both laughed, which diffused the tension.

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"Any progress?" August asked while they were talking around the fire that same evening.

"I just spoke to the Blue Fairy." Snow answered. "She said they might have a lead on the Seer. Once we talk to her, we'll know what we are dealing with exactly."

"Emma." David put his hand on her shoulder. "It'll be all right."

"Let's better hope so." Emma took a deep breath.

"Are you sure you want to keep this from Henry?" Snow asked with concern in her eyes.

"Yes. Between moving in with me, getting to know his father and facing the fact that he'll be a big brother in 4 months, he has a lot to process. There is nothing that he can do for now." She took a deep breath.

"Emma, the Blue Fairy may be wrong." Snow said although no one really believed that.

"Both she _and_ Rumplestiltskin?" Emma said with disbelief.

"This prophecy precedes them both. By a lot. What they know may be far from what originally was said. And we don't know that it is about you." David tried to calm his daughter.

"Yeah. The original could be worse." Emma said and put a hand on her belly where her child was growing. A child that could be their salvation or could bring their demise.

_AN/ So? If I have done my job properly, you'll have a lot of questions. I have one: did you like it? Let me know. Please. Reviews mean so much to me (even negative ones)._


	2. Surprise

_Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of these characters. This story is for entertainment purposes only and has no commercial aim. Please do not publish without my explicit consent._

_AN/ I'm glad that I managed to interest at least some of you. The next few chapters are a flashback to when all this started. In my scenario, Neal is not Bae (it would solve a problem with the ending that I have in mind but I really don't want Neal to turn out to be Bae). _

**2 months earlier**

Emma woke up with difficulty. It was her first day back from New York. The search for Rumplestilstkin's son had lead them there, where she had met with her ex-boyfriend who was also the father of her son. Upon meeting him, he'd told her the real reason why he'd left her. And she hadn't known how to react. She had felt betrayed. And she couldn't explain why she had been so angry at August. Anger was understandable considering his meddling in her life but not hurt. Why did it hurt so much that he, of all people, had done this to her?

Standing up too quickly, she lost her balance and sat down on the bed. She hadn't been feeling well ever since the curse had been broken and she was tired of feeling sick. But it was normal for her body to react this way. Her entire life had been completely shaken. She'd spent a month in another realm where she'd fought with ogres and evil witches. Then another month on the road with Henry and Rumplestilstkin of all people. She needed a break even though she wouldn't admit it.

She finally stood up and made her way down the stairs.

"Good morning." She heard Snow great her. "How did you sleep?"

"All right, I guess." Emma said. "Where's everyone?"

"Henry's at school and David is in the station." Her mother explained. "It's almost noon. You slept for 15 hours straight."

"Really? No wonder I feel like crap." Emma sat down at the kitchen table. "Got any coffee?"

"Sure. And I made you pancakes. I know how much you missed them." Snow was definitely enjoying spoiling Emma.

"Don't you have to be at work?" Emma asked as her mother brought her a plate filled with pancakes but before she could hear the answer to her question a wave of nausea hit her and she ran in the bathroom.

"Emma, are you all right?" Snow entered the bathroom and stroked Emma's back. "Still feeling sick? I thought that this would pass when we came back. Did it happen while you were on the road?"

"Occasionally. But I'm fine. I'm just going through a lot right now and my body is adjusting to all that just as much as my brain. Besides, unlike you, I wasn't that used to eating chimeras and wild rabbits. I'll be fine as soon as I get my life back in order."

"If you say so. But I'm worried about you."

"I know. Now let's go have breakfast." Emma stood up but the room became blurry and she had to grip Snow to avoid falling down.

"That's it. We are going to the hospital. No discussions." The brunette said with an authoritative tone that Emma didn't have the strength to fight.

* * *

Emma entered the house and put the keys on the table her parents not far behind. When she had taken her to the hospital Mary Margaret had called David and he'd gotten there in record time. Emma was still processing the news that she was nearly 3 months pregnant. How was that even possible? It had been only once. Well, once is all it can take. But they had taken precautions. She sat down on the couch and started staring into the space before her.

"Emma, what do you want for dinner?" Snow asked in a soft tone. Emma didn't answer. She turned to her husband. "Would you pick up a lasagna from Granny when you go pick up Henry from the school bus?"

"Sure" David said as he left. There was tension in the air that none of them knew how to diffuse. Emma still hadn't moved.

"Are you going to tell him?" Snow asked her daughter and sat next to her.

"Of course. He's my son. Besides it's not something that I can hide for much longer." Emma said without looking up.

"Of course but that's not the "him" that I was referring to." They remained silent for a bit. "He'll know anyway. Like you said, it's not something that you can hide for a long time."

"No." Emma said with a dry tone. "He betrayed me and I don't want anything to do with him."

"Didn't you say the same thing about Henry's father?" Snow wasn't trying to encourage Emma to reconcile with the father of this baby. But she also knew that there was no point in hiding this and that everyone should be given at least a chance to explain. The chance that Regina had not given her.

"Who says that I want anything to do with Neal?"

"Emma, you can't deal with everything simultaneously." She knew it better than anyone. " How about we take it one crisis at a time? Let's tell Henry tonight. And we'll deal with the rest in the morning, ok? You need to rest." She took a deep breath.

"I still can't believe that neither of us figured it out." Emma said.

"Me too. But all those symptoms could have been caused by the extreme stress that you were under." Snow put a reassuring hand on Emma's shoulders. "Why don't you go take a shower and I'll set the dinner table. David and Henry should be back soon."

_AN/ I know. Not much fluff. You have to be patient. How about you leave me a little comment to encourage me to update sooner?_


	3. Anger

_Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of these characters. This story is for entertainment purposes only and has no commercial aim. Please do not publish without my explicit consent._

_AN/ Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. They keep me motivated to go on. I hope that you will like this chapter._

_I will take the opportunity to advertise a couple of stories that I published around New Years but that people didn't really get the chance to read. For all Wooden Swan fans, check out 'Never', 'Blast From the past' and 'Royal Wedding'. I have a couple of other stories that you can see on my profile._

**Anger**

It had been two weeks since Emma had heard the news about the baby. Henry had taken the news rather well although it was still weird at home. Neal tried to talk to her every day but she refused to see him. Finally, for Henry's sake, she decided to have dinner with him. They talked about their lives. He told her how he'd straightened up after what had happened in Phoenix. How he had a good job and wanted to take care of her and Henry. When he took her home he kissed her goodnight and left.

She entered the house, told her parents that she was going straight to bed, checked on Henry and entered her bedroom. As she lied on her bed, she thought about the entire evening. Neal had really loved her 10 years ago. And he clearly had feelings for her now. What would have happened if they had run away to Tallahassee or Canada? Would they have raised Henry together? Would she have made it to Storybrooke and broken the curse. Would she have discovered who she really was? Maybe, just maybe, separation 10 years ago had been the right thing for them. It had allowed both of them to put their lives in order.

Could they get back together now? He clearly wanted to. Well, she hadn't really told him that she was having another baby. But before telling him, she needed to figure out what she wanted. And that, she didn't know. She thought back about the kiss that they had shared on her door step. 10 years ago, kissing Neal had felt like heaven. She had never wanted to be away from him. But now… nothing felt different. For a second she thought that she was 18 again. Except the spark wasn't there. She wasn't one for romantic comedies but she suddenly understood what girls in those cheesy movies said: "It isn't supposed to feel that way." Why? He'd always managed to light that spark before. Why not now? Was she too emotionally damaged to feel it? No. She had felt that spark again. Quite recently at that. And it had been more powerful than anything that she'd felt before. She put a hand on her belly and thought back at the night when this baby had been conceived. When its father had kissed her, he'd lighted a fire within her, a fire that no one else had ignited before, a fire that no one could ever extinguish. Deep down she knew that no one would ever make her feel that way but him. But she wasn't ready to admit it. Even to herself. She was too angry with him. August Booth deserved every bit of her anger.

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"Here you go." Snow gave Emma the cup of tea. "It'll help. Trust me. It helped a lot with you." That made Emma smile. "Is Henry with Neal?"

"Yes." Emma said and took a sip. "We agreed that they'd spend every Wednesday together. This way they can get to know each other better."

"And you and him?" Snow asked without really hoping that Emma was going to answer. But it was worth a shot.

"I can't. Not now. I need some stability in my life and his arrival was like an earthquake." Emma answered to Snow's surprise.

"You'll figure it out." Snow sat next to her. "Look, I think that you should stop with the magic lessons for now. I don't know whether it's good for the baby. You've already put yourself through a lot. It's a miracle that you didn't miscarry."

"I know." Emma didn't want to admit it but she knew that her mother was right. "I'll talk to her today. It's just… I didn't want to start telling people just yet."

"Emma, people are starting to talk. Your father has taken over the sheriff station full time. You've been visiting the hospital quite frequently in the past 2 weeks. People think that you are seriously ill. Besides, you almost can't button your jeans anymore. You'll start showing and people will know. I don't think that telling the Blue Fairy will be a problem."

"Yeah, I know."

The two women remained silent for a minute. Emma could feel that Snow had something on her mind but she couldn't decide what.

"I talked to Geppetto today." Snow finally spoke up. "He came to the station." She made a pause between each sentence carefully observing Emma's reaction. "We had a long talk. As much as I hate the way things turned out, I can understand his motives for lying to us. I'm still not sure how I feel about it yet and whether I can ever forgive anyone for separating you from me but I know that he did what any parent would do. Protect his child."

"Why are you telling me this?" Emma snapped at her.

"Because everyone deserves a chance to explain." Snow said in a reassuring tone. "I should know better than anyone. Regina never gave me a chance to tell her what really happened. How Cora tricked me into telling her about Daniel. I keep thinking that if she had, we might have avoided all this."

"Why do you want me to talk to August so badly?" Emma asked in an angry tone.

"Because I want you to have closure. I've been observing you ever since Neal got here. Whether you realized it or not, you had been piling up so much anger against him, which now is partially gone. You are letting go of the past a little more every single day. So I'm thinking that talking to August might give you some peace."

"I'll think about it." Emma said so the discussion would end but her mind was made up.

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"Are you ready to begin?" The Blue Fairy asked. Emma was in the convent for her magic lesson.

"Actually… I won't be using magic for a while. I'm pregnant and I don't want to risk anything happening to the baby."

"I see." The Blue fairy said. "Well, congratulations. From the look on your face, I assume this wasn't planned."

"It definitely wasn't." Emma said in an angry tone.

"I'll make sure to offer congratulations to Mr Cassidy when I see him."

"Don't. He isn't the father."

"Oh." Silence "When is the baby due?" The woman said with a kind tone.

"In five and a half months." Emma answered. The Blue Fairy nodded.

"All right. I agree that it may be best to restrain from using magic until the baby is born. If there is anything that I can do, let me know."

"Thank you." Emma made her way to the door but it was blocked by someone. She looked up and found herself face to face with the last person she wanted to see. August. The initial shock of seeing him was replaced by the shock of remembering that he was still wooden. Although she had seen him turn back to wood in the B&B in her memories he was always made of flesh and blood, just like when they'd kissed the night they found the piece of the broken shovel near the toll bridge. She could still clearly remember his warm skin, his steady heartbeat and his soft lips.

"Hi." He said. His voice sounded the same but was deprived of his characteristic cocky tone. When she didn't respond anything, he added. "So. You and Neal are having a baby." He obviously hadn't heard the entire conversation but she decided not to correct him. Oddly she could see pain in his eyes. Pain that she could not explain. "Congratulations."

"Thanks." She quickly said and turned to the Blue Fairy. "Have a nice day." The head nun was looking at her and then at August. She had figured out who the baby's father was. Well, it wasn't much of a mystery. Before the curse broke she had only been spotted out with a limited number of people, especially of male gender. Emma shook her head no but she knew that the woman was August's Fairy Godmother, hell she was basically his mom, and would not keep her secret for very long.

"I will leave you two talk." With that the head nun left much to Emma's surprise. Emma noticed the expression on her face. I was as if the woman had seen a ghost. Or worse. Something was up and Emma wanted to know what.

Emma and August remained silent for a while.

"I believe that you know the truth about Phoenix." He said. She nodded. "Emma, I am sorry for the way things turned out. But I couldn't afford you being in a prison cell or out of the country when it was time to break the curse."

"And your solution was to convince my boyfriend to leave me pregnant in jail?" She snapped. All the anger that she's felt came out. "I never thought that I could hate anyone as much as I hate you." The sadness in his eyes made her heart break but she didn't fully realize that.

"Emma. You were robbing convenience stores with a deadbeat. You were living in a stolen car and you were about to commit identity fraud and/or become an illegal immigrant in Canada. If I hadn't interfered, you might have never discovered Storybrooke and your parents. I'm sorry about the way that things turned out but it was the only way that I could think of at the time. And I'm sorry about the money. I was never good at saying no." He avoided eye contact.

"Sorry won't fix this." She is angrier that she had ever been in her life. "I trusted you. I let you in. And you betrayed me. Don't think that saying sorry will fix things." She continued yelling at him. She faintly heard him try to tell her to calm down because it wasn't good for her or the baby but she ignored him. Maybe Snow had been right. She had piled up a lot of anger toward him. Her vision was blurred by rage. Or was it something else?

Suddenly all went dark.

_AN/ Thoughts? Your reviews motivate me to publish faster._


	4. Truth

_Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of these characters. This story is for entertainment purposes only and has no commercial aim. Please do not publish without my explicit consent._

_AN/ Thank you for the wonderful reviews. I replied to them individually but I can't send Anna a PM so here it goes._

_Anna: I haven't really planned that. In this fanfiction, I find it really difficult to write from his POV because of the complexity of his feelings. Emma is easier for me to keep track of right now. I'll try to include his side of the story at some point though._

**Truth**

August was sitting on a bench outside the cabin where the dwarves had moved back in waiting for someone to update him about Emma. He'd called her parents and they were on their way.

"How is she?" He heart Snow White approach him. "Any news?"

"No. Not yet. Doc is examining her now." He reassured her without looking her in the eyes.

"What happened?" He heard the town's acting sheriff ask.

"I went to talk to the Blue Fairy and I saw Emma there. We started talking. More like yelling. I tried to calm her down but she wouldn't listen. And she collapsed. I brought her here and called you. I wanted to take her to the hospital but it was too far and in her condition, I didn't want to lose time. Besides, Doc is very qualified."

"You did well. Thank you." Snow said with a considered tone. "So you know. About the baby." He nodded. "August, how come that you are a puppet? Last time I saw you, you were flesh and blood." It was true that they hadn't seen each other since the day that he installed the lock on her door.

"I failed. I didn't protect Emma properly and this is my punishment." He said looking at the ground. "I should leave. She will not be happy to see me here. Can I just ask you to give me a call and tell me that Emma is all right?" Snow nodded. "Thank you. I hope that she and Neal will be very happy together." The thought of Emma and Neal was ripping his heart into pieces but there was nothing he could do. Emma would never feel about him the way he felt about her.

"What are you talking about?" David asked and looked at his wife. Had Emma reconsidered getting back together with Neal? But just as Snow was about to explain, Doc came out of the cabin.

"Your highnesses." All three turned to the dwarf.

"Doc, how is Emma?" Snow asked worriedly.

"She's fine. It just had high blood pressure. It is under control now. She can stay here tonight and go home in the morning. She needs rest."

"Can we see her?" Charming asked.

"Yes but not for long. Let her sleep." Snow and her husband nodded.

"Now that I know that Emma is fine, I should leave." August headed away. "There is no point in stressing her more than she already is with my presence. I'll try to stay away." Snow could see his eyes full of pain. She honestly blamed him for leaving now but all she could think of was making sure that Emma was fine.

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Ruby made her way to the woodshop, greeted Geppetto and asked him to call his son. She had to talk to August. She had been the one to observe him and Emma in the diner. She had been the one to see August make his way through Emma's shield. She had been the one to see Emma on her date with Neal and the absence of that little light in her eyes whenever August had taken her on his bike. She was the one who knew that those two should be together and she had the duty to help. The same way that she had Snow and Charming 30 years before.

"Ruby." August greeted her.

"Pinocchio." She nodded. "I see that you are still a puppet."

"What can I do for you?" He asked ignoring her comment.

"For starters, you can explain why you took off yesterday."

"Why would I stay? Emma doesn't want to talk to me. She hates me." He said as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"And that is a good enough excuse for you?"

"What do you want me to say? That she shouldn't be with Neal? That he didn't deserve her 10 years ago and that he may have become an honest man now but that he will not make her happy?" He snapped.

"That. Or that you are in love with her." Ruby said with a calm tone. He didn't answer. "I have observed you enough in the diner. I noticed how you closed your eyes for a second the moment she got on your bike. Or how she would take a deep breath whenever she was next to you so she could enjoy the smell of your cologne. I know what happened the night before we found Katherine in the parking lot. And I noticed how hurt you were when you two came back the day before Henry ate that turnover. And even though you have become far better at lying compared to the boy I knew, I can recognize the pain in one's eyes when they have told the person they love to be happy with somebody else who wouldn't be good enough."

August was speechless. Every word that Ruby had just said was true. He was in love with Emma. And he knew that he wouldn't love another woman the way he did her.

"What do you want me to do? She hates me. As she should. And even if I manage to convince her otherwise, her parents would never approve."

"Excuses. Why don't you prove that you have changed? That you are not looking for lame excuses and acting like a coward."

"How do you know that I have changed? How do you know that I am good enough for her?"

"You came back didn't you? You sent that card to Neal fulfilling your promise." She looked at him with compassion. "The reason that you are messing up is that you want to. You keep telling yourself that you are weak and selfish so you are. But I know true love when I see it. And I know what true love is capable of if you give it a chance. You may forget it, but I did play a role in getting her parents together. I know what I'm talking about."

"She will never feel the same way." He said with sad eyes.

"You don't know that." She approached him and put a hand on his shoulder. "There is a reason why she is so mad at you. The fact that she is angry means that she cares."

"No." August turned away. "Don't try to give me false hopes. I know that it will drive me mad if I don't see her everyday even from a distance but I won't stand between her and Neal again. It is not fair to either of them. It wouldn't be fair to Henry or the new baby that they are expecting."

"How can you possibly say that?" She raised her tone again. "I can't believe that I was wrong about… Wait a minute. The child that they are expecting? Pinnoc… August, what exactly do you know?" Ruby asked.

"What do you mean?"

"About the baby. What exactly did Emma say to you?" Just as he was about to protect she shushed him. "Just tell me."

"She didn't actually say anything. She was talking with the Blue Fairy and I entered in the room. I overheard her saying that she will be refraining from using magic until the baby is born."

"Did you ask her who the baby's father is?"

"I assumed it was Neal. And she didn't deny it. What are you getting at?" He was confused. Even more when he saw her smile.

"Neal has been in town for only a few of weeks and Emma is almost 4 months along." His mouth flew open. "He is not the father. You are."

_AN/ So? What do you think will happen now? I remind you that this is a flashback and that in the first chapter Emma and August seemed to be together and it looked pretty solid. How did they get there? Please Review._


	5. Prophecy Part 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of these characters. This story is for entertainment purposes only and has no commercial aim. Please do not publish without my explicit consent._

_AN/ After being disappointed by last night's episode and the way that the show is going I started to reconsider continuing with OUAT fanfiction. But then I thought: I'll never ship Emma with any one as much as I ship her with August. And this fanfiction is built on destiny any way. I had the idea about it when I saw the casting call for the Seer. _

_Anyway, enjoy. This is the last chapter of the flashback started in chapter 2. It will reveal why Emma and August were so worried about their child._

**Prophecy Part 1**

"Neal is not the father. You are." Those words were stuck in his head like a broken record as he rode toward Emma's house with Ruby. She was driving fast but they could get there fast enough. Knowing that Emma was having his baby was the final push that he needed to go to her. The past months away from Emma had been hell for him. Even if he'd spent only a couple of weeks in her company upon his arrival in Storybrooke, he knew that he would not be able to live in a world where she didn't. He had never meant to fall in love with her but it had happened. And there was nothing that anyone could do about it. He tried taking a deep breath and he realized that he didn't have lungs to fill with air. Then it hit him. How was it even possible that Emma was pregnant? How come he could father a child? True that he had been human back then but originally he had been carved out of wood not born. That baby was a little miracle. And he'd make sure that it would feel that way. He wasn't going to abandon Emma. Not now when she needed him most. He prayed that Ruby was right and that Emma also had feelings for him. He prayed that he would be able to deserve her. He prayed that he would have the strength to be a good father.

"We're here." He heart Ruby say.

"Thank you."

"You are welcome." She smiled. "I love Emma as if she were my own daughter. She deserves to be happy and once you get past this, no one will make her as happy as you."

"What about her parents?" He hesitated.

"Worry about Emma, not them. Show them that you truly love her and you will win them on your side. Snow knows better than anyone what is good for Emma. And David may be tough on the outside but he's a hopeless romantic. He won't stand in the way of love."

August nodded, got out of the car and made his way to the front door. He stood still for a second gathering the courage to face the royal family. He finally rang the bell. He heard steps and saw a male figure approach. Prince Charming opened the door.

"Good evening." August said.

"What are you doing here?" The prince snapped. "I thought you said that you'd stay away."

"When I said that, I didn't know the whole truth. I need to speak to Emma."

"She's resting now."

"She isn't. I hear her voice from the dining room. And don't worry. I will not upset her. I have come to set things straight. And if you try to stop me, I will find another way." Surprise was written on the Prince's face. And August had to admit that he was surprised by he own words himself. Had he found the source of courage and determination that he had needed his entire life?

"Fine. But don't be long. She needs rest."

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The moment August entered the dining room Emma knew that he had found out the truth about the baby.

"Good evening." He greeted, his eyes not leaving hers. "May I speak with you?"

"I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to see you any more." She snapped.

"That's not true and we both know it." He snapped back. He paused and spoke in a calm tone. "I did not come here to argue. I came here to tell you that I am done running away. Wherever I go and whatever I do, you will always be in my thoughts and in my heart and I am done denying it. I never meant for it to happen but I fell in love with you. I don't know how, when or where but I did. Now that I have fully realized that, I know that I will never be able to live without you in my life. And I am ready to fight for that." She tried to interrupt him. "Please let me finish. So I am asking you. That night, the night that this baby was conceived, was I the only one who felt that spark? Did I imagine that feeling of pure perfection? Am I the only one who wishes that things hadn't turned out they way they did? Tell me." Emma didn't know what to say. Whether it was because of his words or the hormones she let tears fall down her cheeks. "Am I the only one?" He repeated his question slowly and she shook her head "no". "Good. Then, as of now, I want to prove to you that I am worthy of you and our child. I love you and I never want to leave you again. I couldn't if I wanted to." With that he turned back and left the house leaving the entire family speechless.

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Three weeks after August's declaration of love, Emma was feeling a lot stronger. Whether it was because she was in her second trimester or because of his presence, she was feeling a lot better and somehow calmer. There were many issues that they had needed to talk about but they took it one step at a time and she was happy this way. She had finally realized that her anger toward August had been a manifestation of feelings that she hadn't fully admitted until now. Over the past weeks he had been amazing with her and Henry. His help around the house had been appreciated by the entire family. Whenever he wasn't fixing anything or running errands he was taking care of Emma. More like spoiling her but she didn't mind. Not any more. For the first time in months she felt better and kind of excited about the baby. Henry, under August's direction (since he found it difficult to handle tools), had helped build a magnificent crib worthy of a royal baby. The way that these two had clicked was plain amazing. As David was taking care of the sheriff station, Emma had more time to relax and spend time with Henry. Getting to know her son was wonderful. She loved him more and more every single day and she knew that he felt the same way. Emma and August had both feared Henry's reaction to the entire situation. August was afraid that Henry would never forgive him for separating his parents. And yet, the boy had proved to have the most compassionate character Emma had ever seen. According to Charming, he took it from Snow. But Emma thought it was more. A gift. Like her superpower. The gift of compassion and forgiveness.

She took a deep breath. Everything seemed fine but she couldn't shake off the feeling that all something would go wrong.

"What is it?" her father asked her at dinner.

"Nothing." She lied.

"Then why do I have a flashback from 29 years ago when I had the same conversation with Snow when she was worried sick about Regina's threats?"

"Fine." Emma gave up not really looking forward to arguing with Charming. "Everything has been going so well lately that…. I don't know… I feels like…"

"It's too good to be true?" Her mother finished her sentence. Emma nodded. "Everything will be fine, Emma. Regina is not a threat any more. Rumplestilstkin will not go against Belle or Neal and start again with his wicked deals. Henry's doing great at school. You two are bonding just fine, he gets to spend time with his father and he is taking the entire situation quite well. You and August are starting to straighten things out. I know that sounds too good to be true but it is. You should just relax and enjoy."

"Then, why do I feel like something is about to go wrong?"

"Because you are pregnant. You are worried about the baby. It's normal. It's what parents do. If you don't believe me, ask David. He was a real worrywart."

"If I recall correctly, I was the rational one. For once." He insisted.

"And tripling the guard of the palace when you went hunting with Thomas was what?" They both let out a small laugh. "My point is: a lot of things can go wrong. But unless anything specific worries you, you should just relax."

"I know. Actually, there is something. The day I told the Blue Fairy about the baby and she saw me and August, she… her reaction was really odd. It was like she I had told her that someone was dead and not about to be born. It may be nothing but…"

"Ok. Then we'll talk to her." David said.

"You won't try to talk me out of this?" Emma asked surprised.

"I know better than argue with either of you. Besides, I trust your intuition." He said.

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Emma and August entered the convent accompanied by Snow and Charming. They made their way to where they knew the Blue Fairy would be.

"Your majesties. What can I do for you?" She asked.

"We want to ask you something." Snow answered. "Your reaction to Emma's pregnancy was quite surprising to her and we wanted to know why."

"You noticed that." She looked at Emma who nodded. "Please sit down. I was going to come to you when I had more information but since you are here." The four of them sat on the chairs that she pointed looking at her with anticipation. "A long time ago, a time that no person alive can remember, a prophecy was shared with a fairy. The prophecy was about the birth of a very powerful child. Born on the night of the blue moon to a woman created out of pure love and a man born without a mother its powers would have no equal." Everyone remained silent for a while. Emma put a hand on her baby bump. Was it possible that this prophecy was about her baby?

"Why didn't you tell us about this earlier?" Snow finally asked.

"I wanted to be sure. As I said, a lot of signs coincide but the next Blue Moon is a month from now and Emma is not due for another 4 months. Along with the other fairies, we are trying to locate a Seer. That is the only way to either see into the future or communicate with the dead."

"Another prophecy?" David said remembering how they had been told that Emma would be the Savior years ago.

"What Rumplestilskin told you about Emma was not really a prophecy." The Blue Fairy explained. "He simply knew how the curse worked because he had created it himself. This was made centuries ago. It is destined to happen. And there is nothing that we can do to stop it."

"Why would we want to stop it?" August asked feeling Emma shaking in his arms.

"A child this powerful could dangerous. It is good that Emma has magical powers of her own because it will give her the strength to carry a magical child but without the original prophecy there is nothing that we can do but hope that it will not be dangerous."

_AN/ So, here it is. The threat that is hanging over their heads. I hope that you will like this chapter better than the last one and that you will review more. Thank you in advance._


	6. Prophecy Part 2 (the real prophecy)

_Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of these characters. This story is for entertainment purposes only and has no commercial aim. Please do not publish without my explicit consent._

_AN/ I am so sorry for the long delay between chapters. I only hope that this chapter was worth the wait._

**Prophecy Part 2**

**The Real Prophecy**

When Emma woke up, she realized that she was alone in her bed. She had been restless ever since the Blue Fairy had told them about the prophecy. Only when August was with her did she manage to sleep. Despite the fact that he was wooden, he made a quite nice pillow for her. She slowly stood up and made her way down the stairs to the kitchen where she saw her parents and August.

"Morning." She said. The serious expressions on their faces scared her a little. "What is it?"

"The Blue Fairy has located the Seer." August finally spoke.

"All right." She took a deep breath. "Is Henry at school?" Her mother nodded. "Then let's go."

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As her father drove to the periphery of Storybrooke, Emma looked outside the window of the car and admired the beautiful nature surrounding them, nature that she wanted her child to enjoy. She put a hand on her belly. "I will protect you." She thought. "No one will ever hurt you, no matter what that woman says." She saw August put his hand above hers and nod. Both of them were thinking the same thing. No one was getting near that child not matter how dangerous it was. After what felt like an eternity she saw her father pull over.

"We walk from here." The Blue Fairy said and they started walking through the woods. After about 15 minutes they arrived near a cave.

"Come in. I have been expecting you." They heard a voice. Emma felt August strengthen his grip on her and her mother take her arm. As they entered the cave, they saw a woman who was maybe Emma's age, but you never knew with Storybrooke's residents. She had long brown hair and was wearing a strange tiara made of flowers and small pendants. "Just as I thought: a warrior, a mother, a savior, a puppet and a fairy." No one dared day a thing. "Please, step in. I have been expecting you." She went deeper inside the cave. When she returned she was carrying what looked like incense sticks, only Emma was sure that they were more than that. "Please, approach. I can put your worried to rest." The woman lighted a few incense sticks and sat down again.

"How do we know that you can trust you?" David spoke up.

"Always protective of the people that you love." The woman turned to David. "You have a good heart."

"What do you know about me?" David was on the defensive.

"Two brothers with faces alike but with hearts more different than the day and the night. One to sell his soul to the devil, the other to stand up for justice. You are brave and your heart is good. But you are also too proud. Not all the weight of the world has to be on your shoulders. Share it with your family." No one dared talk for a minute. "Approach, please." The woman turned to Emma. "I know why you are here. You are worried about the life growing inside you." Emma didn't answer.

"Is that the all powerful child to be born on the night of the blue moon?" The Blue Fairy asked.

"That I cannot know." The woman closed her eyes as if she wanted to concentrate on someone's voice. "As it was foreseen centuries ago, the balance between lands was be disrupted. It has to be restored. Only one has that power. A child with a pure soul filled with compassion and love. A child born to a savior, created from the strongest and purest love that any realm has seen, and a child of the woods, born without a mother, on the night that the moon would take the color of the ocean. Conceived on the night of the bright blue sky this child would have the blessing of the universe to bring back the peace between lands."

Everyone remained silent. Emma felt like her heart was about to come out of her chest. She put both of her hand protectively over her baby bump. She could feel a "but" coming and a big one at that.

"Is that all that the prophecy said?" She asked.

"Despite having all the blessings of the universe, this child would not be born for its mother would be killed while it is still in her womb by its father gone mad."

At these last words Emma heard her mother gasp. She felt August pull away from her. And she saw the Seer look at her intensely.

"What can we do to avoid that happening?" Charming finally managed to say.

"When you flee from destiny you will end up straight in her arms." The woman said not breaking eye contact with Emma.

"You are a Seer. Aren't you supposed to know if Emma's child is the one from the prophecy?" Snow asked.

"I tell you only what the spirits tell me." The woman approached August and touched his face. "Your soul is torn by doubts and is drowning in guilt and they can be the end of everything that you hold dear. Do not let those doubts control you. Do not let others be your conscience. Only you know who you really are and who you really love." Everyone stared at the Seer as she turned to Emma. The woman put her hand on Emma's cheek and gasped. "Poor child. You have suffered. Your soul is ripped. But fear not. You also have strength. Strength like I haven't seen before. Believe in what it your soul tells you. Only you know what is best for you and for your children." She put a hand on Emma's stomach. The she leaned in and whispered in Emma's year. "You are carrying the product of love. A love not admitted, yet not non-existent. Do not fight your heart, child, for it is the key for your soul and your destiny. Listen to what it tells you and it will guide you. Only this way will you be in charge of your life and destiny as a daughter, as a woman and as a mother."

_AN/ What do you think? Will they find a solution to this?_


	7. Plan

_Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of these characters. This story is for entertainment purposes only and has no commercial aim. Please do not publish without my explicit consent._

_AN/ From what I saw, you liked the previous chapter. Intense, right? Well, this one is pretty emotional too. It's the last chapter before the two part finale of this fanfiction, and it will give you the finale clues as to how it will be resolved. _

**Plan**

"One solution comes to mind." David said while everyone was sitting in the living room.

"I have to leave." August said with a serious and determinate tone. No one said anything.

"Because that is your solution to everything?" Emma snapped. She regretted saying those words the minute that they left her mouth. She didn't want to hurt August.

"Emma, please. I don't want to leave you. Especially not now. But if that is what it takes to keep you safe, then I'll do it. "

"I don't think that it is that simple." Snow intervened. "You heard the Seer. If you run from destiny, you end up straight in her arms. Besides we are not even sure that she is talking about this baby."

"All the signs are there." August said. "You have proved times and times that your love is the strongest and purest there is. Emma has magical powers because she a product of that love and she is the savior who broke the Dark Curse. I was carved out of wood and not born. The night that Emma and I spent together was the Aurora Borealis and early labor is not unheard of. She was born early herself." Silence fell upon the room again. "I am the one putting them in danger and I should be the one to leave."

"No." Emma spoke. "You are not going anywhere. Running away is never a solution. You should know that better than anyone." It was true. Destiny had found him even on the other side of the world.

"Emma." August took her hands in his. "You heard what she said."

"Yes. She also told me to trust my instincts. And they tell me that the plan of separating us won't lead to anything good."

"I agree." Henry added. After they had come back from the Seer, they couldn't keep this away from him. He'd known right away that something was wrong. He looked at his grandparents. "You two proved what being separated from your love means." Emma was glad that Henry agreed with her. He had a sixth sense when it came to magic. "How do we know that it's not him leaving that will drive him crazy?" He asked.

"We don't." August stood up. "But we can't sit and do nothing."

"Of course not." Emma said and took a deep breath. She put a hand on her belly. "Besides this is not just about us. You heard her. If we don't fix this, the consequences will be serious."

"What do you suggest?" Charming asked knowing that trusting Emma's intuition was a good idea just as it had been trusting Snow's. And that Emma has inherited his stubborn nature, which meant that once her mind was made up, the decision was pretty final.

"August leaving is not a solution." Henry intervened again. "Have you noticed how much better Emma has been feeling in the past weeks? The baby wants both its parents."

"Henry's right." Emma realized that ever since August got back in her life, she'd been feeling a lot stronger. She knew that Mary and David were there for her but she needed August for this. For the first time in her life she admitted that she needed someone. "Henry, I want to re-read your book. We may find answers there. August, get your stuff in my room by tomorrow night. I will start researching the library tomorrow after my sonogram."

"Emma, having me move in here permanently will put you and the baby in even more danger."

"You won't hurt me. Trust me." She looked at everyone and stood up. "Now, I'm going to take a shower and go to bed."

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A month after they had heard about the fearsome prophecy, Emma's plan seemed to work. However, on August's insistence, they were hardly left alone. Emma wasn't happy about it but as long as it meant having him around, she could live with it. She was now 6 months pregnant, which meant that going to into labor early was possible especially knowing what she knew. She hoped to avoid that though.

"Stop playing with that lighter, will you?" She snapped at David.

"Sorry. I'm just worried about tonight." And he had every right to be. The Blue Mood was tonight and everyone was extremely tense.

"I know, but can you play with something else? Do I have to remind you that you could do serious damage with that?" Emma looked at August who helping Henry to prepare her a snack. What she didn't know for sure but strongly suspected was that this lighter was actually intended for him.

_Flashback_

_1 month ago_

_August had just finished moving his stuff in the house. He was going to sleep on the couch because he refused to approach Emma while they were alone and she was unprotected. He was made out of wood anyway so he wouldn't get cramps. He entered the kitchen where Snow was cooking something while Emma and Henry were trying to make a salad but were mostly playing with vegetables. He turned to David and made him a sign to follow him outside._

"_I still don't think that this is a good idea." August said._

"_Neither do I. But I have learned to trust their instincts." He looked at Emma and Snow. "Let's just hope that she knows what she is doing." August nodded. "What do you want to talk about?"_

"_I need to ask you for a favor. And I need you to promise me that you will never speak of this to anyone, not even your wife, and especially not Emma." David hesitated for a second. He wasn't used to keeping secrets from Snow but the look in August's eyes made him understand that this was no ordinary favor. He reluctantly nodded. "I cannot ask this from anyone else. I agreed to come here for Emma's sake. And the baby's. As long as they need me I will be here for them. I agreed with Emma's plan and no one believes in her more than me but I want to have a back up. I am a potential danger and I want to make sure that someone will pull the death switch if the situation gets out of hand." David was about to protest. "Hear me out. If I ever become as mad as to want to hurt Emma, I will be out of control. I might not be able to go away willingly. That is why I want you to promise me that if I become dangerous for Emma, you will do what is necessary to protect her and the baby. I can't ask this from my father. He would give up his life for mine. I cannot ask this from Snow either. She will not have the strength to do something that will hurt Emma."_

"_What makes you think that I will?" Charming said._

"_Because I have seen first hand what you are capable of when your loved ones are in danger. You are the only person I can ask this from." August realized how much he was asking from the prince but he needed to know that Emma's plan had a safety net. "Do I have your word?"_

"_What's your plan?" David asked._

"_Being made from wood, I don't think that anything but an ax would wound me seriously fast enough. So take this." He handed him a bottle and a lighter._

"_What is this?"_

"_The bottle is filled with kerosene. It's small enough for you to carry everywhere and big enough to contain enough liquid to do serious damage. And the lighter, well… we both know what happens when you throw a lighter at wood soaked with kerosene." Both men remained silent._

"_That is a slow and painful death." David finally spoke._

"_But certain. It should give you at least enough time to get Emma out of harm's way and, if you have mercy, pull me out of my misery. Also, give her this afterwards." He handed him a letter. If wood could cry, August's cheeks would be wet from tears. "Now that you know the plan, do I have your word that you will do this?"_

"_Yes." Charming said after a few seconds. As August was getting ready to enter back in the kitchen he added. "But I sincerely hope that I won't have to." The puppet nodded._

_End of Flashback_

"Here you go." Henry handed her the plate.

"Thanks."

"Hi everyone." Snow entered the living room accompanied by Doc.

"Princess." Doc greeted her. She'd given up on being called Emma by any of the dwarves.

"Is everything ready?" She asked.

"Yes. Red is secure in the mines. The cage should be able to hold her if needed. Granny is with her." Snow explained. They had indeed decided to keep Red away because of the Blue Moon.

According to Emma's research, the Blue Moon affected plants as much as it did animals. It was responsible for magic all together: the enchanted trees, fairy dust (which needed to be recharged every once in a while). It affected animals' behavior and they feared that Red might lose control over the wolf. The Blue Moon was also a moment of transformation. That was what Emma feared. She had a plan and hoped that the transformations it would cause would be in her favor but she felt nervous. She tried to calm herself. She didn't want her worrying to result in early labor. That would be too much.

"Are you afraid?" Henry asked her and she woke up from her thoughts.

"No." It wasn't a complete lie. She hugged her son and kissed the top of his head. "I'm just nervous." She added. She crossed her hands, which made her look at her left hand where she saw her mother's engagement ring. She was taken back to the moment when it had been placed there.

_Flashback_

_The night before_

"_How was your day?" She asked August as she entered the house. She was tired after another day of research in the library. She hadn't found anything useful that she hadn't known already. Something still bothered her in that prophecy._

"_Good. Henry helped me a lot with the crib. It's going to be beautiful." He answered and pressed a kiss on her lips. "Are your parents around?"_

"_No. And I'm not calling them." She said right away. "I don't want to feel like I'm 16 and my parents need to watch me every time I talk to my boyfriend." At the word "boyfriend" she smiled. They hadn't really labeled their relationship but the fact was that they were together and they were about to experience parenthood together._

"_I wasn't going to ask you to." He said with a surprise. "I actually asked them to leave us alone for an hour. I wanted to talk to you." August took her hand and made her sit next to him._

"_If you are going to try to convince me to let you leave town…" Emma was kind of tired to having to convince him to stay. It forced her to speak about her feelings and her needs and she didn't like it. On the other hand, speaking out loud about her feelings helped her come to terms with them._

"_No. But I want to talk about us." He interrupted her. "Just hear me out. Ever since the Blue Fairy made me a real boy I wondered whether I was like other people. Whether I was capable of having the same strength or the same feelings. When I arrived in Storybrooke a few months ago, I thought that I was dying and yet I hadn't felt more alive. I learned what it meant to have a purpose in life. To have something and someone worth living for. You. And Henry. And this new baby. A little miracle. Our little miracle. … But we find ourselves in this horrible situation. What the Seer told us. It made me realize just how much you meant to me. You, Henry and the baby. And now that I know what it means to truly feel alive, I don't want to die before saying what I am about to say." She gave him a look. "Emma we are all going to die some day. But with things so uncertain, I want to make sure that I don't have any more regrets. And one of those things was asking for your hand. I know that it is very soon and very sudden but I love you and I will always love you. I know that I will never be able to live without you. And I don't want to die before I have even had the chance to ask you this. So…" He took out a little velvet box out of his pocket and popped it open. Inside was, what Emma knew to be, her mother's engagement ring, which had once belonged to David's mother. "Will you marry me?" Emma couldn't move from her spot. He had taken her by surprise and she didn't like surprises._

"_Did my parents put you up to this?" Great reaction. Way to go!_

"_No. I mean, I asked them but it was all my idea." He looked like a kid who'd just broken his mother's favorite vase._

"_You asked my parents for permission to marry me?" She realized that her reaction looked more like blame than surprise. The truth was, she didn't blame him. Even though asking the parents of the bride for her hand was something from cheesy movies, it kind of felt nice. _

"_Emma… No. I got their blessing to ask you. The decision is all yours." He paused. "What was I thinking? How could I have fooled myself that you could accept? You deserve so much more than I can offer you." Emma realized that she'd upset him. What would happen if she said "no"? Did she want to say "no"? Not really. But she wasn't ready to say "yes" either. She knew that them getting married wouldn't change much as they were already living together and were about to experience parenthood together. "You don't have to answer. I don't need to hear a "no". I don't think that I can handle it. I get it."_

"_Stop babbling." She said with a calm tone and put a finger on his lips. "Sorry about my reaction. You caught me off guard. Your timing sucks, you know?" They both let out a laugh. "In the past months, my life has been so chaotic: on the day of my birthday, I make a wish not to be alone and my 10 year old son shows up and tells me that my parents are fairy tale characters who need me to save them. Then a grown man shows up to town telling me the same. Then my son almost dies and I get sent to another land. When I finally find peace and quite, I realize that I'm pregnant and possibly in danger. I don't react well to change. You know that." He nodded. "But there was one thing in what you said, which was true."_

"_Only one thing?" _

"_At least one thing." She smiled. "I don't want to live with regrets either. I might not be good at the sentimental stuff but I don't want to have had a chance at a real relationship and blown it because I was afraid."_

"_Emma, all I want is a chance. A chance to show you that I can make you happy. A chance to be a family."_

"_Will you let me finish?"_

"_Sorry."_

"_I don't want to have to answer the question "Where is daddy?". And most of all, I don't want the answer to be "I chased him away". So, as long as you haven't planned for us to get married tonight at sunset on the beach at an overly cheesy ceremony…" She took the ring from the box and put it on her finger._

"_Are you serious?" He couldn't believe what he was seeing. _

"_Yes." She nodded. He hugged her and then realized that he was probably hurting her with his wooden limbs and stepped back. "I love you." He whispered. _

"_I love you too." The words slipped from her mouth before she realized it. August pressed his wooden lips to hers and she felt again the same spark that she'd felt the night they had spent together. But this spark was more powerful. The moment their lips parted she wanted to kiss him back not caring that, as he put it, she should avoid tempting faith by getting a splinter. She looked at her hand, were she noticed that the ring was glowing. A ring that true love followed. The words of the Seer resounded in her mind: a love not admitted but strong. Could it be possible that if…_

_Suddenly, she felt a movement inside. She took August's hand and put it on her stomach. It took him a second to register what she was trying to show him. Even though he was wooden, he wasn't deprived from his senses. He smiled at the movement that he could feel underneath his fingers. Proof that they were indeed about to be parents. Proof that they had created life together. This was one of the few moments in her life that she would later qualify as perfect. _

_End of Flashback._

"Is your father with Archie?" She turned to August. Since Jiminy had spent so much time as a cricket, they didn't know how the Blue Moon would affect him and he had suggested to stay away in Geppetto's shop. The woodcrafter had offered to stay with his oldest friend and had given August a reassuring speech earlier.

"Yes." Her fiancé answered. "We have half an hour." He added with a grave tone. She noticed how he gave David a look and David nodded tightening his grip on something in his pocket.

"I know." She said with determination. She was worried. She didn't want her family to be separated. She couldn't afford to lose anyone of them.

Emma didn't know how long she stood by the window. It seemed like minutes and hours in the same time. She looked at Henry, the person with the biggest heart that she knew. The only person capable of forgiving even Regina. She hoped that all her children would be like that. She put a hand on her baby bump. _Just hang in there._ She thought. _Mama loves you so much. And so does everyone else._

"It's time." She heard the Blue Fairy say. "It's starting." A blue light on the horizon confirmed these words. The Blue Moon was rising.

_AN/ All right. Next chapter is the first part of the finale. You now have all the hints as to how they might, with a little luck, get out of this situations. I'm not saying that they will. After all, they are the Charmings – they never catch a break. _

_But… I'd like to read a few theories. The more I hear, the faster you'll get an update._


	8. Blue Moon

_Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of these characters. This story is for entertainment purposes only and has no commercial aim. Please do not publish without my explicit consent._

_AN/ Seeing as you didn't review the last chapter I assume that you didn't like it. Too bad. I hope that you will like this one is better. I am sad that you didn't like it because I loved wiring it. I may not have been completely thorough but that is because I am really busy with school work. _

**Blue Moon Part 1**

"It's starting."

Emma turned to Henry who was sitting on the couch, Mary Margaret's arms rapped around him.

"Are you going to tell us your plan?" August asked. "You are keeping us all in the… Ah!" A shooting pain appeared in his chest and he collapsed on the ground.

"August!" She shouted and ran to him.

"Emma, stay away." He managed to say.

"No chance in hell." She ran to him as fast as she could and kneeledwith difficulty next to him. She turned to David who was making his way toward them. "Don't you dare!" She shot him with a look. "If you even approach him with that thing in your pocket, so help me, I'll clock you." David stopped.

"Emma, please." August begged her.

"Let me help you." She said and stroked his face. "You won't hurt me."

"You don't know that. Please." He said through the pain.

"Once you told me to have faith." She spoke in a gentle tone. "Now I'm telling you. Have faith in yourself. You will not hurt me. Yesterday, you said that you wanted us to be a family. Was that a lie?"

"No." It ripped her heart to see him like that.

"There you go. You don't hurt family." She smiled at him. "Let me help you." He nodded. She put a hand on his chest were the pain was obviously coming from. She could feel the tension around them. Mary Margaret had a strong grip on Henry. David refused to let go of the lighter that she knew was in his pocket. Doc had rushed next to them and was trying to figure out how he could help. The Blue Fairy was ready to throw fairy dust at them if needed. Don't think about the pain." She spoke with a calm tone. She couldn't afford to panic now. She had to stay strong. "Try to focus on something else." She wasn't sure she wanted to go there but she had to distract him. And if talking about feelings was the way, she'd have to accept it. She couldn't afford the alternative.

"Can't. Voices." He let out. The Blue Moon affected him: the pain, the voices in his head. Emma was afraid. Not for her safety but for his life. She had to guide him. Make sure that he would find his way back to her.

"August. Listen to me." She made him look at her. "Focus on my face. Can you do that?"

"Emma."

"Yes. It's me. Look at me and don't let go." She pushed back the tears in her eyes. There would be time for that later. "I've never said that to anyone in my life before but I need you." As much as she'd wanted to avoid it, tears came down her cheeks. "August, I need you. I can't do this without you. Stay with me, ok?" She was afraid. She couldn't lose him. Not now. "Talk to me."

"Too hard." He said through the pain. "Make them go away."

"I know it's hard. Try. Please." One of her tears dropped on his face. The minute it fell on his cheek, it was absorbed by the wood. Emma saw him close his eyes. When he reopened them, she saw relief. Her tears worked as a painkiller. Immediately, she took his hands and put them around her face so the wood would absorb the tears faster. "Does it feel better now?"

"Emma." He said her name with his usual affectionate tone.

"I'm here." She smiled. How long would that moment of sanity last?

"I'm sorry." She looked in shock. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you all these years. I'm sorry that I failed to convince you that the curse was real. I'm sorry that I couldn't help you get back. Above all, I'm sorry for causing you so much pain by separating you from your parents and then from Neal." He was saying all that as a goodbye and she didn't like it.

"August, don't." It was Henry who spoke. He approached them and kneeled next to August. "Don't blame yourself. Everyone makes mistakes. And Regina was the one separate my mom from my grandparents not you."

"Henry. How can I ever apologize enough to you?" August stoked the boy's head. "You have such a good heart. Don't let anyone poison it. Take care of your mom, ok?"

"August, you aren't dying!" Emma shouted.

"Don't talk like that." Henry was almost crying too. Emma was scared. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't lose August. And she knew that Henry couldn't lose him either. Despite spending time with Neal, Henry didn't have with him the father/son relationship that he had with August. If she could only tap into that and get to her original plan…

"Please let me speak. I don't know how much time we have until the voices come back." August begged them. "Tell my dad that I love him. And I wish I could have made him proud of me. Emma, I love you. Thank you for showing me what love means. Thank you for making me believe that I can be a better man." He made a pause and he turned to Henry. "Henry, you are the smartest 11 year old that I have ever met. I'm so sorry that you didn't grow up in a loving home. In a family. If I had one wish now it would be for the 4 of us to live happily together forever. We'd be a family. Henry, I know that my blood doesn't run through your veins but I grew to love you as a son. And if I die tonight, I couldn't ask for a better way than in the arms of the two…" He looked at Emma's baby bump. "Well 3 people, that I love the most in this world."

"Love you too." Was all that Emma and Henry could say. Emma hugged the puppet in her arms as well as she could and felt Henry wrap his body around them both.

Everyone in the room was crying. Snow, the Blue Fairy, Charming, even Doc. Their hearts broke for the loss that Emma and Henry would feel if August died tonight. Suddenly a bright blinding blue light appeared originating from the hugging family. It grew and spread around the room. Everyone in town felt the wave of magic pass through them.

_AN/ Ok, so the Blue Moon thing was an idea I had when I was watched the show Charmed (haha, what irony). _

_What did you think about the chapter. Short but kind of intense. Originally I wanted it to be longer but I really didn't have time to develop. If I have done my job right, your reaction should be something like that: What the Hell? Let me know what you thought. _


	9. Blue Moon Part 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of these characters. This story is for entertainment purposes only and has no commercial aim. Please do not publish without my explicit consent._

_AN/ Here it is. The last chapter. Sorry for making you wait. I was really busy this week at a conference in….. New York! Yep I'm in the US. Doesn't it make this chapter more special? Anyway. Enjoy!_

**Blue Moon Part 1**

When Emma opened her eyes, the first thing that she noticed was that she was no longer holding a wooden puppet. She put her hand on August's chest where she would feel a strong steady heartbeat.

"August." She smiled. "You…."

"You're real." Henry finished her sentence.

"Looks that way." August studied his hand. Then he touched his face. "I can't believe it." Then he stroked Emma's face with one hand and Henry's had with the other. They joined him in a huge embrace. "How is that possible?"

"The Blue Moon. It's a time of transformation, remember?" Emma started to understand.

"Wait. Did you plan this?" David asked surprised.

"No." She said and looked at August again. "But it's a nice bonus."

"It sure is." August smiled. "Wait, the Blue Moon is still up. All danger hasn't passed yet." He stood up quickly and stepped away.

"Don't worry about that. The worst is over." She reassured them. "Will you help me up, please?"

"How do you know?" Snow asked.

"We beat the effects of the Blue Moon. Instead of going crazy, August became real again." Emma explained.

"What about the prophecy?" August asked. "How do you know that I won't go nuts again and…"

"When did I become the one to tell you to have faith?" She interrupted him. "You just proved that you wouldn't hurt me, let alone kill me. Besides, the prophecy said that the baby that would restore the balance would be killed before it was born. And that's not possible because that kid was born about10 years ago. 11 to be more exact." Everyone looked at her with questioning looks. "The Seer said that this kid would have the gift of love and compassion. Tell me: have you seen anyone who has more compassion than Henry?"

"I don't understand." August was confused.

"Wow, a little while ago I didn't even believe in magic, now I have to explain all this to you? Talk about irony." She let out a laugh and sat on the couch. "When I asked Henry to read his book again, he told me that the most important piece of information inside was that true love is the most powerful magic of all."

"The only magic powerful enough to transcend realms, break any curse or change anyone's destiny." It was the Blue Fairy who spoke. "It is the foundation of every family."

"Bingo." Emma said in a calm tone. "When we went to see the Seer, she said that I was carrying the product of a non-admitted love. And yesterday, when you proposed… I saw the ring glow. So I thought that if I got you to admit that you loved Henry as if he were your own son, maybe, just maybe, we could break this vicious circle."

"That was risky." Snow intervened.

"Things didn't go exactly according to plan but I don't mind the outcome." She took August's hand and smiled. He sat next to her on the couch and wrapped his hands around her.

"Fair enough. But how did you…" Charming didn't even know how to phrase his question.

"Well, when I went for a sonogram last month while you guys were researching I was told that I was having twins." Everyone looked at her with surprise. "By the way, David, thanks for the heads up. You could have mentioned that twins run in the family." She looked at her father who let out a small laugh. "I thought: why would one baby be more special than the other? Later I saw Henry talk to Regina and I was amazed at how he had managed to forgive her for everything. And I've observed him with August too." She then turned to Henry. "You kid, have the biggest heart on this planet. And that got me thinking." She turned to her parents. "There was no way for me to be sure that Henry was conceived during the Aurorae Borealis but it is a very definite possibility. When you live in a car and don't watch that much TV, you notice the color of the sky."

"You think that I'm the kid from the prophecy?" Henry finished her sentence. "Cool." She'd have to buy him a dictionary and make him look up the definition of that word because the burden that was on his shoulders now was definitely not cool. "One question: if I'm that kid, how come you aren't my real dad?" He asked August.

"Years ago, I went to find your mom because I was worried about her, now that she'd left the system. After 2 years of searching, I finally found her in Portland. I followed her for a while but I didn't reach out until… well, you know."

"Wait, that creep on the bike who hung around the bug was you?" Emma continued.

"Thanks for the compliment." He teased. "Yes. That was me. You noticed me? Neal hadn't."

"Yeah but I didn't think much about it then."

"How does that change anything?" Henry intervened. Emma's parents seemed in too great shock to speak.

"If I had shown myself back then, would we…" August looked at her. "Would we have been together for the past 11 years?"

"I don't know." But then, Emma was hit by a realization. "Or the prophecy might have accomplished itself. We would not have been warned. Now it was too late for the second part of the prophecy because Henry was already born. I guess that me having a baby with Neal and then getting heartbroken actually worked out for the best."

"The Blue Moon is a time of transformation. By admitting that they loved each other like father and son, August and Henry recreated the bond that should have always been there." The Blue Fairy finished explaining, finally grasping herself what had happened. "Biology never mattered. Henry got the blessing that he needed."

They all looked each other for a long time. August had rapped his arms around Emma and Henry who had joined them on the couch. Doc excused himself realizing that the Royal Family needed time together. The Blue Fairy did the same.

"Wait, didn't you have fairy dust with you when you came?" August asked.

"I did." The woman answered. "It's gone."

"Did you use it?" Emma asked.

"No." Then the fairy realized what was going on. "The Blue Moon. It is the source of everything magical. It took the dust away because magic never belonged in this world."

"And neither do we." Everyone turned to the 11 year old who had just spoken.

**THE END**

_AN/ All right. That was it. Did it make sense? _

_If the cliffhanger bothers you… don't worry. There is going to be a sequel but I need time to write it. This story has been ready since January. _


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